Scattered Pieces
by Creative Touch
Summary: She had the last piece of him on this earth, due to a careless mistake. Now she has to pick up the rest of the pieces left behind and leave some of her own. All she knows is that this piece of him will change everything. Hrfic R


**A/N: **_(laughs nervously)… err… I know I shouldn't. I really shouldn't have written this. But alas, I did. I failed in my duties and if anyone who reads my other stories is reading this and knows how far behind on updates I am…err… talk to me, and err… persuade me. Please. _

**Disclaimer: **Oh yeah… I own Harry Potter like I inherited the internet.

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**Scattered Pieces**

_**Chapter One:  
**_**The ****Unknown Piece**

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_**She had the last piece of him on this earth, due to a careless mistake.  
**__**Now she has to pick up the rest of the pieces left behind and leave some of her own.  
**__**All she knows is that this piece of him will change everything.**_

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Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Her legs pounded with determination as she continued to push herself beyond her limit. Around and around again, there was no stopping her. Her head was clear and she preferred to keep it that way and for once in her life, she didn't want to think.

The run was sending endorphins around her body but none were reaching her aching heart. She didn't want to feel anymore. She wanted to be numb under the summer sun. She only wanted to push a bit further so that nothing could get her in this state.

Adrenalin pumped throughout her petite frame, despite the tears that were trying to emerge from her chocolate brown eyes. Everything was different now. Everything had changed and the world was definitely altered. The war was over but the aftershock was far from it.

A sob was caught in her chest at the very thought of the war. She swallowed it down, taking deep long breaths as she continued to run around once again. Her muscles ached from the sudden constant long-distance running and she wanted to stop but she couldn't stop herself. She could feel the beads of sweat run from her forehead down her face, trying to cool her down along with the cool air, but she ignored them. She ignored all signs of stopping that her body was urgently trying to send.

Pain hit her in the side, just below her ribs. The sudden stitch caused her to collapse on her seventh lap, right at the edge of the water. She laid there, the tangles of her hair fanned out around her. Her breathing was shallow and ragged. She could feel a sob mix in with her breathing and she couldn't help but let the lingering tears unite with the sweat that poured down her face.

She was a mess. After all that had happened, all the pain, the horror, the grief that everyone had to endure, this was a time to be joyous. Celebrate new life… a second chance. But not everyone would get that. And one person in mind stood out as one that would never get that chance.

What was she thinking when they met up that night? That when this stupid war was over, they would get together? That he would choose her like she had chosen him? They would continue from where they left off? What was she thinking? None of those would ever come true… especially not now.

The very thought of him was almost unbearable for her. For years, a silly school-girl crush on him. For years, nothing but taunting and outbursts. Yet that was exactly that made their night together burn with so much passion. All these years of locked up feelings came out when her lips met his. She cried as she traced her lips as if she could still feel their soft touch upon hers.

The saddest thing was not that she would never see him again, not that they would have any future together; but that no one will ever know. No one _could _ever know. No one should know.

She rolled over, unable to breath from her hard sobbing. A jerk in her stomach came with a heavy breath, and caused her to vomit everything that she had eaten that morning for breakfast. She began to splutter as everything came up from the very pit of her stomach. She could barely control it as it all came back up causing her to feel faint and weak. With a few after-gags and coughs, she slowly moved closer to the water.

She sat up properly and cupped the water with her hands; bringing it to her lips and washing the taste out of her mouth before spitting it back out. She was careful not to drink the water, not knowing if it was safe to drink. She began to wash her face, feeling refreshed as the water hit her skin.

"Are you OK, Hermione?" a familiar voice from behind whispered gently.

"I'm fine, Neville," she answered back, splashing more cool water on her already tear-stained and sweaty face. "I just needed to run."

"You've been doing a lot of that recently. Harry and the Weasleys are worried about you, you know?"

"Oh really?" she murmured. She had been avoiding them for some time now, telling others that she was giving them space for overcoming a traumatic event. "Did… did they say anything specifically?"

"Not really. Just that they haven't seen you in a while. I bet Ron misses you…" Neville trailed off, knowing he had said too much.

"Ronald? Why would he miss me?" Hermione asked bemused.

"Well… you are his girlfriend…"

Hermione barked out a laugh, "is that what he's been telling you? That I'm his girlfriend?"

"Well… no…" Neville looked a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "But you kissed, right? So doesn't that mean you're dating?"

"A kiss doesn't necessarily mean anything, Neville. But yes, we did. As for the dating part, I wasn't his property last time I checked. But is he really gloating to all you boys about the kiss or something?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"No," he admitted truthfully. "Harry accidentally let it slip, when he was recounting the past year you guys had, to me. It was completely unintentional, I swear!"

Hermione gave him a small smile, "don't worry, Neville. I believe you." He seemed to relax a bit more after that. "How is everyone?" she asked, sincerely wanting to know the answer.

"Pretty shaken up. I mean, it was a pretty big war," Neville said, sitting down on a near-by rock. "Ron's mum isn't doing too well," he looked at the ground, suddenly finding it fascinating, "she says she's ok about Fred's death, saying that he knew what he was getting himself into but it's clear that she's just putting on a brave face for Ron and Ginny and the others. Can't blame her, though. But she doesn't really let any one talk to her these days. But then again, what do you say to someone who lost one of their children?"

"That's understandable that she doesn't want to talk to anyone. It's all apart of grieving, I suppose," said Hermione, looking over the lake where the Giant Squid was lazily skimming the top of the water.

"Is that what you've been doing? Grieving?"

Hermione looked at him with a blanched expression. "What- what makes you think that?"

"You've been running a lot recently," Neville shrugged.

"So?"

"So… you just seem like you don't really want to talk to anyone anymore. And well… don't tell Harry I said this… but he's starting to think that you're avoiding him and the Weasleys. Apparently you don't come to dinner and you're always asleep when Ginny comes around to check up on you." Hermione stared back over the water, fighting back the sudden tears in her eyes. She wasn't starving herself; she had her food delivered to her by the house-elves and she was always so tired after running that she slept a lot. But apart of her was grateful for this so that she could keep away from Ginny and her family. She could barely look them in the eye anymore…

"And you've been running a dangerous amount you know?" Neville's voice told her and interrupted her thoughts. Hermione shot him a dirty glare. "Well… you are! You never ran this much before and all of a sudden it's nothing but running with you."

"How do you know I didn't run in the muggle world?"

"Well… why would you stop just because you're in the wizarding world? It wouldn't make sense," Neville pointed out. "And even so, if you keep this up, you're going to make yourself sick."

"No, I'm…" at that moment, much to her surprise and horror, a sudden wave of nausea washed right over her, causing her to throw-up whatever was left (if there was anything left that is) in front of Neville. "Sorry," she apologized wiping her mouth with her hand.

Neville looked a little disgruntled by the sight, "that's exactly what I mean. You are getting yourself sick, Hermione."

"I'm fine Neville," she insisted. "When you run without much experience, your body has to get rid of the toxins in your body. And the best way to do that is… well…" she motioned to the small puddle of sick in front of her.

"If you say so," he said unconvinced.

"What time is it?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Um… almost noon."

"Oh really? I have to go then…"

"Go where?" he frowned.

"To the dormitories. I better take a shower before leaving"

"Leaving?"

"Well… I have to get my parents back from Australia. I got the ministry letter yesterday, they found my parents in Sydney. Well… they don't know that they're my parents because of the spell, but it was for their own good," she reassured him.

"Oh… right."

"I'll be back. If I don't say goodbye, tell the others I do, will you? I'll send an owl when I get there."

"Aren't you apparating though?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't know what Australia is like so I would barely know where to apparate to, or how to do intercontinental apparating, yet. So I'm taking a plane to Sydney."

"A plane?"

"A muggle transport for travelling overseas."

"Oh," was all Neville could say.

"I better get going," Hermione said, trying to find her balance as she got up. "It leaves in another hour or so."

"Oh okay," Neville began but she took off on a run to the castle.

She yelled over her shoulder, "tell the others!" Hermione didn't hear a response as she pounded her legs once more in the direction of the castle. Just reaching the old structure, her legs gave in as a stitch returned to her side. She stopped and took deep breath, shocked that sudden tears were falling.

Hermione leaned against the stone wall, more tears merging from her eyes. Neville had said his name and now their night together was returning to her memories. The night still replayed itself in her mind and she didn't want to feel anymore. She wanted to be numb. She couldn't do this anymore. She had to give up that piece of her heart for her sanity…

She just had to.

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**A/N: **_I am NOT a runner. Far from that. But that is what I assume it would be like and why some people love it so much. But I do happen to know that people can throw-up whilst running… don't ask. _

_And no, this isn't a Neville/Hermione story. Neville was just there coz I expected the others to be in a grieving process of their own. And Neville probably was the nicest guy who didn't have the most to deal with straight after the war._

_So anyways__ just like my other stories, DH compatible but not the epilogue._

_Did you like it?__ This is my 7__th__ story that isn't an oneshot, so it's sorta special. I dunno, it was something that was just bugging me for quite sometime now but I have put it off knowing how many stories I was writing at once. So I was going to wait until I had finished one before getting this one out. But obviously I failed!_

_Check out some of my other stories. If __you're a Hermione fan and a fan when she isn't with Ron then read my stories _Filling in the Gap (in-progress)_, _Loss of Innocence (in very, _very_ slow progress) and Apologize (in semi-slow progress). _And if you wanna, you can read my other stories or oneshots, like _Time Weave (in-progress)_ and _PS I Love You (oneshot).

_Review, review, review. Will love you forever if you did._

_Lots of Love,  
__Creative Touch_


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